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Covid-19 Vaccination: We Need Help – Governor Uzodimma

By
The Source
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Hope Uzodinma

Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma has appealed to Imo leaders, particularly the Church and traditional rulers, to be part of efforts by government and her development partners to ensure that the citizens get vaccinated against Covid-19.

He has also challenged them to organise town hall meetings aimed at getting their subjects and parishioners to buy into the ongoing campaign on vaccination against Covid-19.

Addressing Imo State Covid-19 Stakeholders Engagement Meeting at the Sam Mbakwe Chamber, Government House Owerri, Wednesday, the Governor explained that Covid-19 vaccination has been tested all over the world and that most prominent and important persons, leaders of nations and states, have “successfully taken the vaccine, proving that it is safe and to our advantage.”

Governor Uzodimma told the participants to help appeal to the people to come out and be vaccinated so as to “save their lives, that of their family, community, State and Nation at large.”

The Governor who said himself, the wife and members of the Executive Council of Imo State have all been vaccinated, appealed to Church leaders to provide a place for the health workers every Sunday to vaccinate their congregation.

In the same vein, he enjoined the traditional rulers to make available their Civic Centre and other gathering places in their Communities for their people to be vaccinated by the health workers who are currently in the field for the assignment, emphasizing that “it is the responsibility of all to collaborate, mobilize and sensitize our people to come forward to be vaccinated.”

The Governor said: “We need the help of the religious and traditional rulers, the Caritas Foundation, the Civil Society Organizations, Civil Servants and the Media to achieve a reasonable percentage of the population vaccination against Covid-19.”

The Governor appealed to the media to bring to bear their role of Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) by writing positive reports about the Covid-19 vaccine that will encourage the people to voluntarily submit to the vaccination exercise.

“We are begging you to choose to be alive, be protected by being vaccinated.”

The Governor thanked the partners,  especially the United States of America,  who have been at the fore front of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic for coming to rescue Africa, Nigeria and Imo State in particular from the clutches of the pandemic.

He added that the only way to encourage the development partners and the donor nations to do more is by appreciating their gesture by turning up to be vaccinated so that their efforts will not  be in vein.

He charged the Medical Team and others involved in the vaccination to discharge their responsibility to the people by owning the programme and to see it as part of their contribution to humanity.

Addressing the Stakeholders, the United States Deputy Chief of Mission in Nigeria, Mrs. Kathleen FitzGibbon said they were in Imo State in continuation of the work of mobilization and sensitization of the people towards Covid-19 vaccination programme.

She noted that the United States Government had given 25 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine to Nigeria, insisting that ‘’the more people are vaccinated the more Covid-19 gets behind us.”

“We need to be vaccinated, to be protected against the pandemic.”

She thanked Governor  Uzodimma for his concerted efforts in the fight against Covi-19 pandemic in the State and also  commended the State Ministry of Health, the Primary Health Care Agency and development partners for the harmony that exists among them “which has resulted in the successes so far recorded.”

She appealed to them to keep up the efforts and good works towards mobilization and sensitization of the people in the areas of the vaccine being safe when taken.

She also called on the traditional rulers, Christian and Muslim leaders in the State to do more work on their followers to accept the vaccine as a safe guard against Covid-19 pandemic, adding,  “do more on those who are hesitant.”

In his welcome address,  the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Prosper Success thanked the participants, and especially the Governor, the U. S. officials and development partners for providing an enabling environment and necessary resources to his team, that has made it possible for them to record a some successes.

He emphasized the need to take the Covid-19 vaccination more seriously.

In a presentation, the Executive Secretary Imo State Primary Healthcare,  Rev. Sr. Dr. Maria-Joannes Uzoma said that “with the launching of the community vaccination healthcare programme the State has been able to record a higher percentage of the Covid-19 vaccination in the 27 Local Government of the State.”

She however enumerated challenges her team is facing in some Local Governments to include security, hesitancy and traditional belief.

In their different messages, a representative of the Church, Bishop Enyinnaya Okoroafor; a Traditional Ruler, Eze Clinton Ugwuegbulem and the Country Representative World Health Organization (WHO),  Dr. Bassey Uwazinga, thanked the Governor for his dexterity and swift approach towards the fight agaist Covid-19 in Imo State that made the State to record the least cases in the Federation.

They promised that they will continue to collaborate and do the needful in convincing their people to accept vaccination as a way out of the negative consequences of Covid-19.

Imo Government Moves Against Illegal Oil Bunkering

By
The Source
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Hope Uzodimma

The Imo State Government has directed the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to put in place measures that would deter illegal oil bunkering in any part of the State.

Rising from its regular State Executive Council (EXCO) meeting Wednesday, April 6, 2022 presided over by Governor Hope Uzodimma, the Government, also, disclosed that approval had been given for the award of contract for the construction of more roads in different parts of the State.

Briefing newsmen on decisions reached by the Exco, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon. Declan Emelumba, said Council also empowered the Petroleum Ministry to forward a Bill to the House of Assembly for the Creation of Local Content Management Agency with a view that it would help to generate revenue for the State.

The Commissioner said the Council also  frowned at reports that at some ongoing construction sites in the State, hoodlums have continued to disrupt activities and therefore called on the leaders of those areas to wade in by  controlling, cautioning and calling their youths to order and to educate them on the need to cooperate with those who are bringing development to their area.

Emelumba informed that the Council expressed delight that Imo State took the first position in the States Category of the recently concluded Technology and Innovation Expo 2022 organized by the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology between 14th and 18th of March 2022.

He said the Governor has already received the plaque and letter of award from the Commissioner for Science and Technology, Prof Boniface Nworgu during the Exco Meeting and urged all the ministries to prove the stuff the State is made of.

Furthermore, Emelumba noted that the Council received commendable reports of appreciation from Communities that reside along the areas where construction of the Government’s ongoing flagship roads – Owerri/Okigwe and Owerri/Orlu roads are located because of their quality and speed of execution.

Accompanied by the Commissioner for Science and Technology, Prof. Boniface Nworgu; Commissioner for Transport, Barr. Rex Anunobi; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mrs. Ruby Emele; Commissioner for Petroleum Resources, Rt. Hon. Goodluck Opiah and the Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser to the Governor, Oguwike Nwachuku, Emelumba explained that the Council noted with delight the completion of work on 10 roads earlier awarded by the Government which are awaiting commissioning soon.

It was also an opportunity for the Commissioner to explain to the media how excited the Council was over  the nomination of Governor Uzodimma as the Governor of the Year, 2021, by the Sun Newspapers in recognition of his sterling performance in road and other infrastructural development programmes in Imo.

Jonathan’s Convoy In Fatal Crash; Two Police Officers Die, Former President Mourns

By
The Source
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Jonathan Auto Crash

Former President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has expressed  deep sadness over the unfortunate tragic death of two police officers attached to him, in a road crash Tuesday, at the vicinity of the Abuja airport, while on his way out of the airport.

It was a lone accident. The last on the convoy, the vehicle skidded off the road, and hit a culvert. The impact was fatal.

The former President who described the incident as painful and heart-rending stated that the sudden death of the two security details has thrown him into deep mourning.

Dr. Jonathan noted with sadness that the deceased, Inspectors Ibrahim Abazi and Yakubu Toma, were fine officers who were dedicated to their duties and service to the nation.

Two other officers sustained injuries in the accident which involved a car conveying the security men. They were rushed to a hospital in Abuja where they are responding to treatment.

The office of the former President has offered condolences to the families of the bereaved and the Police High Command. Dr. Jonathan prayed God to grant the souls of the departed eternal rest and bless their families and the nation with the fortitude to bear the loss.

Why APGA Lost National Secretary To PDP

By
Adesina Soyooye
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Labran Maku

By Adesina Soyooye

After a fruitless journey to the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, former Minister for Information, Labran Maku, has dumped the Party.

Maku, who was the National Secretary of APGA, returned to the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, where he made his name in politics.

Under the PDP, Maku became the Deputy Governor in his State, Nasarawa. He, thereafter, became the Minister for Information.

A former Journalist, Maku surprised not a few people when he dumped the PDP in 2015, after an unsuccessful  bid to the Governorship of Nasarawa State, for APGA, a Party which was, and still is, relatively unknown in his State. He sort to be the Governor under APGA, and failed. He tried again in 2019, and failed. Maku made do with the office of the National Secretary of APGA, a position many thought he made little or no impact, seeing that APGA revolved around the immediate past Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano.

Political analysts are of the view that given that APGA has remained a one-State Party, and that Maku was doing little or nothing as National Secretary, he had no choice but to return to the PDP.

But speaking in Nasarawa on Wednesday on why he returned to the PDP, Maku said he did so based on the yearnings of his people.

What Terrorists Said To Ali-Hassan, MD/CEO, Bank Of Agric On Release; Confirm Many In Custody

By
Adesina Soyooye
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Alwan Ali-Hassan

By Adesina Soyooye

Alwan Ali-Hassan, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria’s Bank of Agriculture, has been released by Terrorists who abducted him.

He was set free Wednesday evening after his family’s long negotiation with the terrorists. Even though it cannot be confirmed how much was paid in ransom money to the terrorists to secure his release, this magazine gathered that it ran into millions of Naira.

Before his release, four heavily armed, and well-kitted terrorists flanked the obviously tired-looking and still frightened Ali-Hassan, who wore a white “up and down” and a cap, apparently what he wore on the day of his abduction.They proudly made a speech.

The one who spoke on behalf of the terrorists confirmed they bombed the train. He confirmed many passengers are still in their custody. He said they decided to release Hassan out of compassion, on health grounds. He did not say what it cost to secure his release. He confirmed they would release other hostages only when the Federal Government fulfils their demands. He did not say what the demands were, but said they have been passed unto the relevant authorities.

Hassan was one of the 162  abducted/ missing passengers on the train which was  bombed on March 28, 2022, on its way from Abuja to Kaduna. There were eight fatalities, and 25 injured passengers. 182 others were safely evacuated and reunited with  their families.

2023: “Mark It, I Will Quash Every Gang-up Against Me” – Wike

By
Adesina Soyooye
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Nyesom Wike

By Adesina Soyooye

Presidential aspirant and Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, says he would quash every gang-up against his aspiration. “Watch me today, Mark my words, I will quash them.

Wike is aspiring to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari under the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Addressing some Party delegates in the run-up to the PDP Presidential Primary on March 28, 2022, scheduled to  hold at the Eagle Square, Abuja, Wike asked the delegates to follow him.

“Follow me. Let’s go to the Eagle Square on March 28. Everything is Wike. As they give you the ballot, it is  Wike. If anybody touches you ask: Are you Wike? Don’t touch me if you are not Wike. Do you understand what I am saying? Wike! What did I say? Wike! Do you here me? Wike!”

He told them to watch him and mark his words. “I will quash them”, he boasted. “They think there is no God.”

Controversy surronds where the PDP will zone the Presidential ticket. While there is a strong clamor for it to be zoned to the South, there is a strong speculation that the Committee set up by the Party to look into the Zoning of offices and make recommendations, has thrown open the Presidential seat. The Committee was headed by Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom.

Meanwhile, a number of the Presidential aspirants under the PDP, have been meeting in a bid to reach a consensus. It has not yet worked as all of them are scrambling for votes from delegates.

UBA, Others Get CBN’s Hammer Over Secret Crypto Deals

By
James Orji
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0

By James orji

The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN has wielded the big stick on the United Bank for Africa, UBA and other two commercial banks for failure to comply with its regulations on transacting in cryptocurrencies.

Apart from UBA, the other two banks sanctioned by the apex bank are Access Bank and Stanbic IBTC, according to a Bloomberg report. The three erring banks have now been fined N800 million by the Godwin Emefiele-led CBN.

In its circular to banks on February 5, 2021 the apex banks warned commercial banks in the country that aiding customers to trade in crypto currency will attract severe sanctions. It had directed the banks to close accounts of persons or entities involved in cryptocurrency transactions within their systems.

The circular signed by Bello Hassan, Director, banking Supervision and Musa Jimoh, CBN’s Director, Payment System Management Department, said “Further to earlier regulatory directives on the subject, the bank hereby wishes to remind regulated institutions that dealing in cryptocurrencies or facilitating payments for cryptocurrency exchanges is prohibited

“Accordingly, all DMBs, NBFIs and OFIs are directed to identify persons and/or entities transacting in or operating cryptocurrency exchanges within their systems and ensure that such accounts are closed immediately.”

Bloomberg said the CBN has the capacity to detect cryptocurrency transactions by commercial banks with appropriate sanctions on erring ones.

The management of UBA has yet to make any comment on the issue though a source in the bank said “efforts are ongoing to collate an appropriate response” on the matter.

This, however, is not the first time that the Kennedy Uzoka-led UBA Plc has ignored federal government’s monetary regulations.

In 2016, UBA shunned President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive that all funds belonging to the federal government should be paid into the Treasury Single Account, TSA.

While the president directed that all funds belonging to the federal government be paid into the designated account, it was discovered that UBA concealed a whopping N58.8 billion belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.

The bank was later fined N2.9 billion by CBN as a punishment for the act.

The bank is also one of the serial violators of the Cash Reserve Requirement Ratio, CRR, a monetary instrument by CBN to control inflation in the country, experts said.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of Stanbic IBTC, Wole Adeniyi, in his response to the cryptocurrency sanction by CBN said at a forum in Lagos that the bank has not violated CBN’s directed over the issue. He claimed that the transactions for which the bank was sanctioned passed through its system undetected.

Adeniyi said the CBN relied on advanced capacity, not available to commercial banks to detect the relevant transactions.

He explained that the CBN is “now sharing intelligence” with banks to be able to discover such transactions.

Banditry: Zamfara Gov Splashes Car Gifts On Emirs

By
James Orji
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Zamfara cars

By James Orji

Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state has distributed 260 state of the art cars to first class traditional rulers and emirs in the state. The magazine learnt that the gesture is to secure the cooperation of the traditional rulers in the war against criminality, particularly banditry in the state.

The state is one of the epicenters of banditry in the country. And the governor’s awards of cars to emirs comes barely four days after suspected armed bandits invaded Tsafe town, the council headquarters of Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, killing many people.

According to report, the latest attack claimed the life of the state’s commissioner for security affairs, Mamman Tsafe.

A close aide of one of the traditional rulers who received the car gift told the magazine that “the village leaders have been working to ensure security pervades the entire state. This is necessary to support the government’s efforts to wipe off criminality,” he said.

Speaking on the car gift, Zailani Bappa, the governors’ Special Adviser on Media, said in a statement that the state government recognized the prime position of traditional rulers in the state.

He said the distribution of cars was performed by Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto, at the government house in Gusau, on Wednesday.

According to the statement, Matawalle said the gesture was done in recognition of the status of the traditional institutions as “the custodians of our religion and culture and vehicle of cohesion and peace in our societies”.

“It is in view of the high esteem with which my administration regards our traditional leaders and institutions that we decided to procure brand new cars — Cadillac 2019 model for 17 emirs, 13 senior district heads and 230 district heads across the state,” the governor said.

Bank CEO Freed By Terrorists

By
James Orji
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Alwan Ali-Hassan

By James Orji

Alwan Ali-Hassan, kidnapped Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture has been released. He was one of the victims abducted by suspected bandits that attacked the Abuja-Kaduna train last week.

The magazine learnt that Ail-Hassan was released on Wednesday after ransom had been paid to the bandits who are still in custody of many passengers who boarded the train.

The Kaduna Police Command had yet to release any information to this effect, but sources in the force said security agencies worked to ensure that the BoA boss regain his freedom.

The BoA chief executive was abducted alongside others passengers last Monday, March 28 by terrorists who bombed an Abuja-Kaduna bound train carrying over 800 passengers. No fewer than eight People were killed and 26 others injured in the attack.

The Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC while confirming the incident, said about 392 passengers were on board the ill-fated train, adding that over 180 passengers have regained freedom while the whereabout of 162 passengers yet unknown.

Also Read: What Terrorists Said To Ali-Hassan, MD/CEO, Bank Of Agric On Release; Confirm Many In Custody

Non-Recent Payment Of N200 Million To Retirees, Ekiti Pensioners Clarify

By
Ayodele Oni
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0

By Ayodele Oni

The Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) in Ekiti State has said that the last time government released N200million to members to offset part of their entitlements was last year.

The union was reacting to a statement credited to the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Yinka Oyebode that the pensioners acknowledged receipt of N200 million last week from the state government.

State chairman of NUP, Mr Joel Akinola said the statement was far from being true insisting that there was no recent disbursement of any fund to the union.

The issue of non payment of gratuities of retired workers in Ekiti state has become a political matter as virually all the Governorship candidates now solicit for their support during June election with a promise to pay them if elected.

Government statement, is coming at the time former Governor Segun Oni, who is candidate of Social Democratic Party, (SDP) met with the pensioners last week to reassure them of alleviating their plight.

Oni is said to be the only Governor that paid gratuities of pensioners few months after their leaving office, when he was Governor of the state.

Mr Akinola, told journalists on Wednesday in Ado-Ekiti, that the said amount was released in December 2021 and not recent as claimed in the government’s statement.

He explained that the letter of appreciation by the union which was quoted by the government was long written in January in respect of the N100 million released and not related to N200 million of last year, questioning the intention of the government which he said has caused agitation and unrest among members.

Akinola called on the state government to be sensitive to the plights of the pensioners by paying the backlog of the gratuity amounting to N37 billion, adding that members of the union are daily losing their lives due to lack of proper healthcare, “of which if their gratuity is paid, they will use it to take care of themselves.”

“We are here today to correct the misinformation in the public as released by the state government last week that we just received N200 million.

“The truth is, that the government released N200 million in December 20, 2021, and we as usual wrote to appreciate the government immediately and raised points on other issues for the government to address.

“In January this year, the government released N100million and we wrote to appreciate but to our dismay, we saw that statement last weekend that we received recently N200 million, quoting our letter on the N100 million of January, that is unfair because our members have been calling and agitating since they heard the statement of the government; you know pensioners are old and expectant people.

“There is nothing recent in the amount and we will continue to appreciate the government for what they have done in the past. But, the government should find a way to source the money for the N37 billion backlog of gratuity and pay us, it is our right and entitlement.

“We have nothing against the government but they should continue to assist us because our people are old, expectant and dying. Our case is different from the construction of road and others because it is between life and death, nobody can finish all the road construction in the state. The fact remains that the time left for us on earth is limited.”

The pensioners had last year disagreed with the state government on percentage to be paid to pension fund administrators, raised by the administration to handle the issue of payment of gratuities to the retirees.

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